Apple is known for keeping its executives on a tight leash. Most of them decline interviews from all news organisations, but earlier today senior vice president of marketing Phil Schiller spoke to Daring Fireball’s John Gruber on a range of topics.

It is an unexpected interview, potentially hinting that Apple’s executives are being offered (or forced) to appear in more public interviews. This would help fill the gap Steve Jobs left behind, since chief executive Tim Cook lacks the presence of the former CEO.

Chief design officer Jony Ive appeared in a profile piece for The New Yorker, but other executives like Craig Federighi, Eddy Cue and Dan Riccio continue to be unapproachable or unwilling to speak to the press on Apple, hinting that this might be a one off interview.

Gruber started with the 16GB iPhone, claiming the lack of onboard space forces the customer to pay for the 64GB option for an extra £100. Schiller responded by saying advances in iCloud storage should be enough to mediate the lack of storage, although iCloud is incapable of storing app data meaning it is a half-baked solution at best.

Schiller was also grilled on the battery life vs thinness, with Gruber asking if the few millimeters shaved off is worth the tradeoff of less battery life. "We model every thickness, every size, every weight and try to figure out what the tradeoffs are. I think we've made great choices there,” said Schiller in response.

The last major topic in the interview involved the one USB Type-C port on the 12-inch MacBook, but Schiller wasn’t playing diplomatic this time. He claimed that any company providing incremental updates offers no excitement, and taking a risk like the one port on the MacBook is a good way to test the waters.

"That's the Apple I want — I want an Apple that's bold and taking risks and being aggressive,” Schiller said. Lets hope some of these future risks like the iPad Pro and Internet TV service are revealed this year.